Rhynchospora solitaria
Rhynchospora compressa
onespike beaksedge
flatfruit beaksedge
erect to ascending, narrowly linear, wandlike, terete, leafy proximal to middle.
erect to ascending, leafiest at base, triangular, slender, somewhat stiff.
erect to ascending;
blades proximally flat, 2.5–3.5 mm wide, apex tapering, tip abruptly blunt.
exceeded by culm;
basal blades crowded, spreadingexcurved, distal ascending, linear, proximally flat, 3–5 mm wide, apex trigonous, shortsubulate.
terminal, cluster of spikelets crowded, broadly turbinate to hemispheric, to 1.5 cm wide; leafy bracts linearsetaceous, slightly exceeding cluster.
spikelet clusters 3–5, compact, the proximalmost widely spaced, turbinate or lobed to hemispheric; leafy bracts setaceous, mostly overtopping clusters.
orangebrown, lancefusiform, 6–7 mm, apex acuminate;
fertile scales lanceovate, 4–5 mm, apex acuminate with excurved awn to 1 mm.
redbrown, broadly ovoid, 3–3.5(–4) mm, apex acuminate;
fertile scales broadly ovate to ± orbiculate, 2–2.5(–3) mm, apex rounded to notched, midrib included or shortexcurrent.
bristles 3–4, some reaching tubercle tip, antrorsely barbellate.
perianth bristles 6, reaching from fruit midbody to tubercle, antrorsely barbellate.
1–2 per spikelet, 2–2.1 mm;
body brown with paler center, obovoidlenticular, 1.5–1.7 × 1.2–1.3 mm, margins flowing to tubercle;
surfaces finely transversely striate with minute pits;
tubercle lowtriangular, 0.3–0.5 mm.
1–2 per spikelet, (2–)2.5–2.8(–3) mm;
body brownish, broadly obovoid to nearly orbicular, 1.5–2 × 1.5–2 mm;
surfaces strongly transversely wavyrugose, intervals rows of vertical, rectangular alveolae;
tubercle conic-subulate, basal rim flaring above short neck on achene.
Rhynchospora solitaria
Rhynchospora compressa
Of conservation concern.
Rhynchospora solitaria appears to be the least common North American species of Rhynchospora with two of the five given localities apparently lost. The name “solitaria” is deceptive; the plants sometimes form small tufts of culms. The most distinctive feature in the field is the attractive orangebrown color of the narrow, acuminate, bristlescaled spikelets.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
Rhynchospora compressa is very closely akin to R. recognita and even coarser; inflorescence clusters are about as bristly and fertile scales blunter than those in R. recognita. It is less inclined to have an excurrent midrib, and the fruit is flatter. Both species often produce sterile spikelets, sometimes comprising an entire inflorescence.
(Discussion copyrighted by Flora of North America; reprinted with permission.)
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